The Mind That's Not Aware

"L-Line?..." Ryuma realized that he was lying down on Line's thigh. It's like being pampered with the kids, but Ryuma refrains the thought from coming out of his mouth. Ryuma tried to mutter a word, but Line closed his lips, refraining from saying any words.

"Shh... Pipe down, don't you? He's still here..." 'He', Ryuma instantly recognized who it was by the looks on Line's face.

"Oiiii~ Where were you hiding?~ Come out playing with uncle don't you~" Vestine's voice reached Ryuma. Ryuma instinctively tried to get up, but Line restrained him from doing so.

"Don't! Your muscle is ripped all over. And the burning wound that's done to your body isn't small either."

"But, I couldn't just hide like this either!"

"That's true! But remember, you almost died from fighting him!"

"Kuh..." Ryuma felt despair when Line told him that he almost died from fighting against Vestine, it's like telling him he's already lost, to begin with. Then Ryuma noticed a figure standing behind him for a while.

"Y-You... Receptionist girl!" The guild's receptionist girl, Lessie Aura.

"Y-You! I already told you to leave-"

"That doesn't matter. Everyone who survived has probably been saved in the shelter by now. But for those who didn't survive..." Aura looked at the dead body trapped under the rubble, which was the victim who died at the hand of Flameborn. With both hands, She grips Ryuma's hand tightly.

"As much as I don't want to do this, I beg of you. Please avenge the people who fall victim before their hands. Right at this moment, my wrath is burning as ever. If we're letting him go, I'm afraid that more people will fall victim to his hand. No, by the hand of Flameborn!" Aura cried as she said the words.

Ryuma, with his almost burned-out arm that's currently healed by Line, grips Aura's hand back.

"Don't worry, even if you didn't say it, I would have punched his guts. I've got this."

"NO, YOU DIDN'T GET SHIT!" Line interrupts the moment between the two. As then Line whispered right in Ryuma's ear.

'She's already got the boyfriends you hear?! As much as I don't like to interrupt it, Lain is probably gonna kill you if he knew you touched her hands!'

"Wait, talking about the receptionist girl's boyfriends, where is he? He's S-rank, isn't it? I've seen a few of them before, but I've never seen how they fought. People often said they could challenge Magihen if they want to." And then, as Aura cleans the tears in her eyes, she answers Ryuma.

"Lain, he goes out of the town to do a quest sent by a neighboring village. It's been two days, but he's not back yet. Actually, I'll like he doesn't come back, seeing this whole town crumble like dust..."

Ryuma, sighed as he tried to stand up. But Line tried to stop him since she's not healed Ryuma to the fullest.

"Wait Ryuma! I haven't fully healed you yet!"

"Don't need." Ryuma drank the mana potion that Line gave him. But the voice from Line stops Ryuma as she's trying to tell something.

"Ryuma, before you go-"

...

"WHERE ARE YOU PIPSQUEAK BRAT! EVEN IF YOU'VE TURNED INTO THE CORPSE BY NOW AT LEAST SHOW ME YOUR DEAD COLD BODY!!!" Vestine destroys one rubble after another, trying to find Ryuma. Even if he happened to be dead. Judging by his face, he's currently feeling irritated because he's yet to find Ryuma.

Not long after, the sound of wind made Vestine instinctively turn around, just to get his face kicked. That kick sent one of his teeth flying, but it barely sent him to the back. It appears that Vestine in the power-up form has increased his physical constitution and durability.

"I found you... TAKE THIS AND DIE!!!" The flame appeared before Vestine's hand as it was aimed towards Ryuma who just kicked Vestine in the face. The flame disappeared before it hit Ryuma, but at the same time, Ryuma saw how his skin slowly and slowly burned. And then, it comes with the burning pain that's currently attached to his wound.

(Channelopathy, that's what Line said...)

...

(Channelopathy is the psychological response when you aren't able to perceive pain. But it comes from when you're at birth. Even so, it's similar. The adrenaline flowing in your body makes you not aware of the pain and how much toll your body is taking. If you were fighting Vestine for longer, you'd be left with nothing but dust now.)

(Hmm... Is that so... Then it occurs to me, isn't he's also the same? At this very moment, his body is also taking quite a toll.)

(!... Then!)

...

"Either take him out at this instant Or wait for himself to wear down! It doesn't matter how I do this, but as long as I'm not lost yet, this guy is 100% gonna die!" Even so, the first punch from Vestine sends Ryuma far.

(Tch! I've lost the adrenaline I used to fight him a while ago! In that case, all I gotta do now is to let it flow up. At the same time, it occurred to me that I was barely able to perceive my pain. Is that one of his invisibility powers too?)

No, as Line said, it was the psychological response as Ryuma is not able to perceive the direct attack even if they had come into contact with him. In other words, even if the attack hits, Ryuma isn't able to feel as if he's not aware of it. And of course, it's only when the adrenaline flows at a rapid pace.

"Burst Flame!" Ryuma once again used his burst flame as he charged towards Vestine at great speed. The two hit each other once again, but Ryuma manages to get an advantage as his mind is still intact. He gave Vestine a couple of good hits, breaking bone after bone.

"Damn it..." Vestine on the other hand, becomes more irritated. The wrath is blinding him as he's using every mana in his body to burst the area with the flame. Thankfully, Line managed to save Ryuma as she dragged him to above.

"I've got you, kid!"

"Thanksies! Now then, I've seen an opening for him. Next time, we'll go all out!"